Bicycle Level Of Service Research Articles

The Measurement Method for Planning Green Campus Based on Bicycle

Although there are small buses and Damri (state-owned company bus) public transportation that some students use, the majority of traffic at the Indralaya Campus of Sriwijaya University consist of to support an eco-friendly college environment, the institution suggests enhancing bicycle riding as an alternative. The main purpose of this study is to develop strategic, secure and comfortable bike lanes and evaluate potential bicycle users’ interest. Bicycle Level of Service (LOS) was assessed using Vissim software under three scenarios. The results show that many road segments achieved LOS A. Scenario 2, which is based on the shortest public route, is identified as the best possible bicycle lane plan for city bikers. Out of 100 respondents who were interviewed, including students, faculty personnel and employees; about 80% were in favor of implementing bicycle lanes implementation on campus.

Analisis Efektifitas Jalur Khusus Sepeda di Jalan A. P. Pettarani Kota Makassar

In Makassar City, transportation plays an important role in improving population mobility. This increase in mobility in Makassar City has resulted in the use of private vehicles for transportation, which has a number of disadvantages. Bicycle facilities, on the other hand, remain ineffective due to bicycle lanes deemed unsafe from motorized vehicles, poor pavement, and a lack of bicycle signage. The issue raised is also a research topic, namely, how effective is the implementation of bicycle lanes in the Makassar City area? The collection of data on Jalan A. P. Pettarani is one of the study's limitations. Effectiveness is calculated using the BLOS (Bicycle Level of Service) methodology. The BLOS value of 2.94 on Jalan A. P. Pettarani was in the range of 2.5–3.5, rated C, showing that the route was less effective for bicycles. When traffic volume is low or road conditions are described as quiet, add protection for bicycle lanes with speed bumps (Type-A Bicycle Lane) to increase the BLOS value..

Kajian Efektivitas Lajur Khusus Sepeda di Jalan L.L.R.E. Martadinata, Kota Bandung

The pandemic has led to an increase in the use of bicycles as a means of transportation that is cheap, environmentally friendly, and has a positive impact on the health of riders. The increase in bicycle users must be in accordance with the availability of adequate facilities and infrastructure to create comfortable and safe cycling activities. This research was conducted to analyze the level of effectiveness of bicycle lanes on L.L.R.E. Martadinata Street, Bandung City. The method used is descriptive, with a quanitative approach. Sampling uses a purposive sampling method for cyclists. The research object was analyzed using observation, questionnaires, and the BLOS (Bicycle Level of Service) method. The results of the BLOS analysis based on the volume factor, speed factor, pavement condition factor, and road cross-sectional factor on the observed bicycle lanes indicate that the service level of bicycle lanes on L.L.R.E. Martadinata Street, Bandung City has a D grade, both on weekdays and weekends. This means that the bicycle lanes are considered ineffective for cyclists from an environmental point of view but is acceptable for experienced cyclists.

Studies on level of service for a proposed cycle tracks in urban arterial roads under mixed traffic flow-A case study

In the present study, research is carried out on provision of cycle tracks in Tiruchirappalli. The study area comprises four roads within K.K Nagar, covering a distance of 5 km and surrounded by schools and residential buildings i.e., Simco Meter Road, Rajaram Salai Road, Kajamalai Road and Race Course Road. Traffic volumes during peak hours are measured in each road segment and video graphic studies, spot speed studies have been done for bicyclists and compared with IRC Standards. Preliminary geometric data were collected for all four roads and analyzed. The typical cross-sections of different roads have been shown and based on the requirement and space availability; the cycle tracks are proposed with and without shy distance including side walk wherever possible along with available widths based on IRC standards. The comfort levels of cycle users on road segment are found in terms of Bicycle Level-Of-Service (BLOS) for the considered study area. It is inferred that, LOS for the proposed geometric details with separate cycle track for bicyclists is better than the LOS of the bicyclists on the existing road.

Level of service analysis of rail road grade crossing from the perspective of walking and bicycling: a perception based study

ABSTRACT This article suggests reliable pedestrian level of service (PLOS) and bicycle level of service (BLOS) models by analyzing the effects of various factors to define perceived PLOS and BLOS criteria at rail road grade crossing (RRGC). Questionnaire survey was carried out near 21 RRGCs across nine Indian states, and 2272 responses were obtained from the survey. Ordered probit models were developed to investigate the impact of variables over PLOS and BLOS. The models result illustrate that inflating certain variable (age, trip type, gate blocking phase, distance between gates and presence of heavy vehicles) degrade perceived PLOS and BLOS. However, enhancing the road surface quality at grade crossing, lateral visibility, road marking & warning sign and aesthetics have a favorable impact on perceived PLOS and BLOS. Thus, the developed models and policy regulations suggested in this research would be useful to improve the service quality level for pedestrians and bicyclists.

A Review on the Development and Need of Bicycle Level of Service

Bicycle is a non-motorized vehicle which is used to travel for short-distances in the communities and it’s a mode choice for lowincome group. Generally, the infrastructure related to active modes of transport is neglected and by this the active modes user’s faces hard times in regarding safety and are more vulnerable to accidents while travelling on the road. So, it is important to consider active mode users in planning with equal importance to all the road users. The purpose of study is to emphasis on the importance of facility provision for bicycle use and to provide an overview over the evaluation parameters that are used in the assessing the road with respect to user comfort i.e., use of bicycle level of service (BLOS) to evaluate the existing facilities and to make necessary amendments to provide better facilities to the users in terms of safety and comfort.

Cyclist Safety and Comfort of Bicycle Facilities in the Bintaro Jaya During Covid-19 Pandemic Using Bicycle Level of Service

Limited cycling facilities are one of the problems that often occur in urban areas in Indonesia, especially Bintaro Jaya, an area that cyclists often traverse during the COVID-19 period as it is today. The lack of service level of bicycle facilities on Jl. Boulevard Bintaro Jaya often causes bicycle users to feel less safe and comfortable during cycling. This study was conducted to know the service of bicycle facilities in Bintaro, especially on jl. Boulevard Bintaro Jaya. The most affecting factor of the service level of bicycle facilities in Bintaro is the high volume of traffic. One of the first steps to knowing the level of service of bicycle facilities is to analyze using the bicycle level of service (BLOS) method. In addition, a questionnaire will be conducted to determine the perception of bicycle facility users in Bintaro. Observations on traffic characteristics are carried out on weekdays and weekends, which are then to obtain BLOS data. Analysis was performed that BLOS values above 3.5 which mean the bike is not feasible for cyclists. The results concluded that the bicycle facilities in Bintaro Jaya are still not by the safety and comfort factors according to the BLOS method. To improve the safety and comfort of cyclists, the application of traffic calm such as speed hum is needed to reduce the impact of high traffic volume and high speed, repainting of markings and adding bicycle parking facilities.

Analyzing bicycle level of service using virtual reality and deep learning technologies

Bicycle Level of Service (BLOS) provides an essential tool for evaluating the operations of low-carbon bicycle facilities and prioritizing investment in new bicycle facilities under various constraints. This study aimed at developing a LOS method for assessing bicycle facilities in the metropolitan areas of China. Using this method, we addressed major challenges in obtaining user ratings of bicycle facilities and captured senses of satisfaction of bike users riding on bicycle facilities. Virtual Reality (VR) technique was introduced to obtain data by creating 120 immersive settings or scenarios for participants. A hundred of bicyclists or participants with a wide range of characters were recruited. These participants were asked to express their senses of satisfaction under predefined physical conditions of bike facilities and traffic conditions. Their Satisfaction Rating Scores (SRS) were documented. The statistical relationships between rider’s feelings and bike facilities/traffic conditions were modeled and verified through a symbolic regression (or an effective deep learning) approach. The model is demonstrated to be reliable in predicting SRS of bicyclists with a high correlation coefficient. This study also developed a set of LOS criteria based on the cumulative distribution of satisfaction scores. These LOS criteria are simple to use and effective in assessing operational performance of existing bicycle facilities and providing decision makers with insightful guidance for planning, designing, and operating new active transportation facilities.

Bicycle Level of Service: Proposed Updated Pavement Quality Index

The Highway Capacity Manual (HCM) employs a simple five-point system to assess the quality of bikeway pavement as part of the comprehensive bicycle level of service (LOS) evaluation. Unfortunately, the ambiguous and rudimentary nature of the existing HCM Pavement Quality Index (PQI) fails to offer an objective review of bikeways across different jurisdictions. In the following analysis, first is an assessment of the PQI and bicycle LOS in the HCM. To demonstrate the impact of the pavement quality rating and the importance of a more standardized evaluation method, a sensitivity analysis is performed. An improved PQI matrix is then proposed based on a comprehensive literature synthesis. The new matrix allows for a more holistic understanding of pavement quality in a three-category framework. The proposed methodology includes specifications for the functionality, structural integrity, and maintenance of bikeways. Within each category, objective thresholds are defined, such as for potholes, cracks, and maintenance routines, to minimize any potential subjectivity.

Unsignalized Intersection Level of Service: A Bicyclist’s Perspective

As the traffic conditions at unsignalized intersections are complex and chaotic, the perceived satisfaction levels of bicyclists are controlled by several factors. Although complex, the Bicycle Level of Service (BLOS) studies at this facility are highly important so as to improve its performance from the perspective of bicycling. This study is an initial attempt to identify and model the factors influencing BLOS at unsignalized intersections under mixed traffic conditions. For analysis purposes, extensive data sets on the geometric details and operational characteristics are collected from 70 unsignalized intersection approaches located in various parts of five Indian cities. Subsequently, eight variables (effective approach width, peak hour volume, conflicting traffic volume, and average bicycle delay, etc.) having significant influences on the perceived satisfaction levels of through bicyclists are identified. Of all these variables, the average bicycle delay is observed to have the highest influence on user-perceived BLOS. This suggests that the minimization of bicycle delay is the utmost important strategy to enhance perceived satisfaction levels of bicyclists. Further, a step-wise regression-based BLOS model has been developed for the service quality assessment at unsignalized intersection approaches. This model has shown a very good prediction ability in the present context with a coefficient of determination (R2) value of 0.83 with averaged observations. A service scale is also defined to convert the outcomes of this model to letter-graded service classes A–F (excellent–worst). The field application of these tools has shown that above 89% of the investigated sites are offering BLOS ‘C’ or inferior. This is a serious concern for the inhabitants in the long run. Hence, the modeled attributes should be prioritized (in their identified order of importance) in the transportation planning process to avail the better service classes effectively.

Multi-objective route planning problem for cycle-tourists

ABSTRACT Cycle-tourism which is a type of niche and sustainable tourism is increasingly promoted by transport and tourism agencies in recent years, but there are still few researches on the cycle-tourist route planning. This paper aims to formulate the cycle-tourist route-planning problem, in order to maximize cycle-tourists’ utility of visiting points of interest (POIs), minimize the total travel time, maximize the Bicycle Level of Service (BLOS) and minimize the number of intersections on the cycle route taken, subject to monetary and time budget, etc. A multi-objective mixed integer linear programming model is formulated to optimize the cycle-tourist route plan. The problem is solved by augmented -constraint method (AUGMECON) whereby a set of nondominated solutions are generated to address the trade-offs among multiple objectives. The proposed model can help local government and agencies promote cycle-tourism and help cycle-tourists better plan the route to satisfy their personal requirements in a sustainable transportation system.

Analisis Efektifitas Jalur Sepeda Berdasarkan Metode Bicycle Level Of Service (BLOS)

The bicycle lane policy on the Darmo Highway - Urip Sumoharjo Street - Basuki Rahmat Street - Suryo Governor Street - Panglima Sudirman Street Surabaya City for 8,789 Km has been implemented since 2014. The width of the bicycle lane on this corridor of 1.5 meters is on the road body. The application of bicycle lanes in the city of Surabaya is still less effective because there are still many motor vehicle users, the lack of bicycle users and the purpose of cycling is only for recreation (car free day). The purpose of this study was to analyze the level of effectiveness of the bicycle lanes in the Basuki Rahmat Jalan Surabaya corridor. The method used is quantitative descriptive analysis technique Bicycle Level Of Service (BLOS). Data collection is done by survey and documentation. The results of the BLOS analysis that Monday, Saturday and Sunday BLOS value is "F" more than 5.5 means that the environment is not safe for bicycles except Sunday at 06.00-08.00 BLOS value is "D" means less environment for bicycles.

Cycling Master Plans in Italy: The I-BIM Feasibility Tool for Cost and Safety Assessments

Interest towards urban micromobility has been growing lately, and it will now increase further due to the measures used against COVID-19. It is recommended to avoid close contact to prevent contagion. Municipalities have been called to implement wider cycling networks so that people may go to their work place by cycling rather than by using public transport. This paper focused on cycling path design using an infrastructure-building information model (I-BIM). The issue covered was how to connect cost and safety requirements in the first steps of the project. We set a methodology that gives, after identifying the intervention area and defining the available economic resources, the key elements needed to design possible cycle path solutions. It guides the designer step-by-step, starting from basic assumptions related to a cycle path’s location (urban/non-urban), budget (by range), and safety (according to Bicycle Compatibility Index BCI and Bicycle Level of Service (BLOS) index), up to the definition of preferred options in terms of materials to be selected. As a case study, we implemented this methodology in the old city center of Catania in Sicily (Italy), designing a cycle path that connects the city center with the existing cycle path on the coast, while aligning with safety requirements within budget constraints.

What Makes a Good Cargo Bike Route? Perspectives from Users and Planners

AbstractCargo bikes—bicycles made to carry both goods and people—are becoming increasingly common as an alternative to automobiles in urban areas. With a wider and heavier body, cargo bikes often face problems even in the presence of cycling infrastructure, thus limiting their possibilities of route choice. Infrastructure quality and the route choices of cyclists have been well studied, but often solely based on a quantitative approach, leading to tools such as BLOS (bicycle level of service). With various designs of cargo bikes being used for a wide range of purposes, the route choice of cargo bike users is difficult to generalize. This study combines quantitative and qualitative approaches in order to explore what is important for cargo bike users’ route choice, and how this knowledge can be effectively used for planning. Our results suggest that while some general preferences exist, route choice involves complex dynamics that cannot be fully explained by quantitative measures alone: in addition to understanding “what” is important for cargo bike users, we need to understand “why” it is important. Furthermore, route choice is also influenced by the city context, making a study tailored to the local context essential.

Expanding the Scope of the Bicycle Level-of-Service Concept: A Review of the Literature

Research into the bicycle level-of-service (BLOS) has been extensively conducted over the last three decades. This research has mostly focused on user perceptions of comfort to provide guidance for decision-makers and planners. Segments and nodes were studied first, followed by a network evaluation. Besides these investigations, several variables have also been utilized to depict the users’ perspectives within the BLOS field, along with other cycling research domains that simultaneously scrutinized the users’ preferences. This review investigates the variables and indices employed in the BLOS area in relation to the field of bicycle flow and comfort research. Despite general agreement among existing BLOS variables and the adopted indices, several important research gaps remain to be filled. First, BLOS indices are often categorized based on transport components, while scarce attention has been paid to BLOS studies in trip-end facilities such as bicycle parking facilities. The importance of these facilities has been highlighted instead within research related to comfort. Second, the advantages of separated bike facilities have been proven in many studies; however, scarce research has addressed the challenges associated with them (e.g., the heterogeneity within those facilities due to the presence of electric bikes and electric scooters). This issue is clearly noticeable within the research regarding flow studies. Furthermore, network evaluation (in comparison to segment and node indices) has been studied to a lesser extent, whereas issues such as connectivity can be evaluated mainly through a holistic approach to the system. This study takes one step toward demonstrating the importance of the integration of similar research domains in the BLOS field to eliminate the aforementioned shortcomings.

Service quality analysis of signalized intersections from the perspective of bicycling

IntroductionBicycling reduces the risk of various health problems associated with sedentary lifestyles. Hence, it is important to encourage bicycle commuting by enhancing the bikeability of transportation facilities. To support this process, this article proposes efficient bicycle level of service (BLOS) models for the assessment of signalized intersections under heterogeneous traffic conditions. Here, BLOS denotes bicyclists' perceived level of satisfaction. MethodExtensive data sets (geometrical, traffic operational and built-environmental) are collected from 70 well-diversified intersection approaches of India. All approaches are also rated by 200 on-site bicyclists based on their perceived satisfaction levels on a Likert scale of 1–6 (excellent–worst). The attributes having significant influences on these ratings are then identified through Spearman's correlation analysis. Subsequently, three highly efficient techniques namely, associativity functional network (FN), genetic programming (GP) and step-wise regression are utilized to develop reliable BLOS models. ResultsAs observed, the intersection BLOS is significantly (p < 0.001) influenced by total eight attributes of which crossing pedestrian volume, parking turn-over and average bicycle delay are the most dominating ones. Utilizing these variables, the FN tool has produced the most efficient BLOS model with a coefficient of determination (R2) value of 0.92 with averaged observations. Further, the classification of BLOS ratings into six symmetrical levels A–F (excellent–worst) has reported that around 86% intersection approaches in India are offering BLOS C–F. ConclusionThe important measures of BLOS improvement at signalized intersections include the efficient management of crossing pedestrians, restrictions on nearby parking activities, and minimization of bicycle delay. The deficiencies in these aspects have perhaps made the intersection approaches in India to offer BLOS C–F. The BLOS models and transportation engineering solutions proposed in this study for the improvement of public health through bicycling are highly efficient for developing countries.

Bicycle Level of Service for Route Choice—A GIS Evaluation of Four Existing Indicators with Empirical Data

Bicycle Level of Service (BLOS) indicators are used to provide objective ratings of the bicycle suitability (or quality) of links or intersections in transport networks. This article uses empirical bicycle route choice data from 467 university students in Trondheim, Norway to test the applicability of BLOS rating schemes for the estimation of whole-journey route choice. The methods evaluated share a common trait of being applicable for mixed traffic urban environments: Bicycle Compatibility Index (BCI), Bicycle Stress Level (BSL), Sixth Edition Highway Capacity Manual (HCM6), and Level of Traffic Stress (LTS). Routes are generated based on BLOS-weighted networks and the suitability of these routes is determined by finding the percentage overlap with empirical route choices. The results show that BCI provides the best match with empirical route data in all five origin–destination pairs, followed by HCM6. BSL and LTS which are not empirically founded have a lower match rate, although the differences between the four methods are relatively small. By iterating the detour rate that cyclists are assumed to be willing to make, it is found that the best match with modelled BLOS routes is achieved between 15 and 21% additional length. This falls within the range suggested by existing empirical research on willingness to deviate from the shortest path, however, it is uncertain whether the method will deliver the comparable findings in other cycling environments.

Utilizing Bicycle Compatibility Index and Bicycle Level of Service for Cycleway networks

Bicycle is widely used in Japan by people of all age groups in daily usage, which may significantly ease traffic congestion. Responding to the cyclists increasing, the method to assess the quality of bicycle travel become necessary. Previous studies reported several approaches to obtain evaluation methods. However, cycleway evaluation in Japan is still far behind the evaluation methods developed in Europe or America. This paper concentrated on familiarizing readers with two methods for evaluating the quality of bicycle facilities and then presenting some proposals of cycleway evaluation in Japan referencing to these two methods. The first method, Bicycle Compatibility Index (BCI), is used to evaluate the road environment for cycling according to the road characteristics by statistical analysis. The second method, Bicycle Level of Service (BLOS), also represents an evaluation of safety for bicyclists. Both of the above methods offered equations of comfort and safety perceptions of bicyclists according to cycling environments. By introducing these methods in combination, this paper enables the readers to maximize the comparative advantages of both BCI and BLOS. The comparison includes sensitivity of variables and the development of both methods. Then we applied BCI and BLOS to evaluate the target roadways in Kumamoto, Japan.

Quality of Bicycle Traffic Management at Urban Road Links and Signalized Intersections Operating under Mixed Traffic Conditions

This study proposes bicycle level of service (BLOS) models for the urban road links and signalized intersection approaches operating under heterogeneous traffic flow conditions prevailing in developing countries. Extensive data collection was carried out through field investigations, videography techniques, and perception surveys to inspect which parameters primarily affect the quality of bicycling in the mentioned facilities. As many as 74 road links and 70 intersection approaches of nine different Indian cities were included in the study locations. In addition, the perceived satisfaction ratings of 22,320 on-site bicyclists (i.e., 155 bicyclists from each site) were included in the database. These ratings ranged from 1 to 6 (excellent–worst bicycling conditions), and were used as the array of dependent variable in the model development process. Separate BLOS models were developed for road links and bicycle through movement at signalized intersections through the application of a novel evolutionary artificial intelligence technique, namely multi-gene genetic programming. The link model included eight significant variables in total whereas the intersection model included a total of seven. With compacted structures, both models represented excellent reliabilities in the present context and produced high coefficient of determination ( R2) values of above 0.86 with averaged observations. These models will help traffic planners and engineers to evaluate the service levels of urban bicycle facilities of developing countries. Statistical analysis of modeled parameters has reported that the traffic volume and crossing pedestrians have the highest influences on the quality of bicycle traffic management at urban road links and intersection approaches, respectively.

Defining Bicycle Levels of Service Criteria Using Levenberg–Marquardt and Self-organizing Map Algorithms

This article proposes a bicycle level of service (BLOS) model for the assessment of urban roadway segments in mid-sized cities carrying heterogeneous traffic. The bicycling environments persisting on as many as 74 segments of four Indian cities are thoroughly analyzed. On-street bicyclists with varied demographics have rated these segments using a Likert scale ranging from ‘1’ (excellent) to ‘6’ (worst). The influences of various road attributes (geometric, traffic, and built-environmental) and bicyclists’ characteristics (socio-demographic and travel characteristics) on the perceived ratings are assessed using Spearman’s correlation analysis. Subsequently, eight significant variables are identified and used to develop a Levenberg–Marquardt neural network-based BLOS model. The most efficient but less complex model consisted of one hidden layer, three hidden neurons, and hyperbolic tangent activation function. This model produced very high values of correlation coefficient between the actual and predicted perceived ratings (i.e., 0.93 and 0.92 in the training and testing phases, respectively). The applications of Garson’s algorithm and connection-weight approaches explored that the effective width of outermost lane has the highest influence on urban street BLOS. The BLOS criteria are classified into six categories A–F (representing excellent–worst) using the self-organizing map in artificial neural network cluster technique. It was observed that most of the studied segments are offering average to worst kind of services at their present-day conditions. Thus, the influencing variables should be largely prioritized in the planning process to achieve better service levels efficiently.